“Rejoice in hope, endure affliction and persevere in prayer” – Rom. 12:12 Marked five (5) years of experiencing God’s hand at work in our individual and

“Rejoice in hope, endure affliction and persevere in prayer” – Rom. 12:12

• Marked five (5) years of experiencing God’s hand at work in our individual and collective lives and pursuing His call for us as a Community to be “salt of the earth and light of world” symbolised by the BRIDGE (Broken individuals, Restored by Christ, and now living In the Spirit as Disciples with God being at the centre of our lives. As such, we are called to be Evangelists )

• Lived out His specific call for us to “rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer”

• Deepened community life through the Men’s/Women’s Groups (Households)

• Renewed personal call for discipleship through the ECLS

• Established the Men’s and Women’s Council

Milestones for 2009


Milestones for 2009


• “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare, not for woe! plans to give you a future full of hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11

• We want to pursue Sword of the Spirit’s recommendations (through Ken Noecker’s visit):

• Understanding and Hearing the Call• Entering into Defined Commitments• Learning and Living SOS Way of Life• Establishing Effective Community Care:

• Initiations• Ongoing Care• Leadership Training

• Practicing Fruitful Mission and Outreach• Establishing Good Government• Entering Good Inter–community Relations

Moving Forward through 2010


Our Commitment (Covenant) Provides a

Stable Way of Living Our Christian Way of

Life


Sharing a “Way of Life”• Not primarily meetings and

activities

• More importantly sharing a common way of expressing our Christian life

• Characterized by a family spirit


A Practical System of Love

• Everyone is cared for. No one is left out.

• Everyone knows who they are primarily responsible to care for and who is primarily responsible to care for them.


Functioning as a body - a body that

builds itself up


Eph 4:15-16 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in

every way into him who is the head, into Christ, (16) from whom the

whole body, joined and knit together by every joint with which it is

supplied, when each part is working properly, makes bodily growth and

upbuilds itself in love.


1Cor 12:12-14 For just as the body is one and has many

members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is

with Christ. (13) For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or

Greeks, slaves or free--and all were made to drink of one Spirit. (14) For the body does not consist of one member but of

many. . .


1Cor 12:24-27 But God has so composed the body, . . . (25) that

there may be no discord in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. (26) If

one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. (27) Now you

are the body of Christ and individually members of it.


Rom 12:3-10 For by the grace given to me I bid every one among you not

to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober

judgment, each according to the measure of faith which God has

assigned him. (4) For as in one body we have many members, and all the

members do not have the same function,


(5) so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually

members one of another. (6) Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: . . . (9)

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; (10)

love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in

showing honor.


All Members Have a Role

Each Member Has an Essential Service


The Most Important Positions in the Community

Sons and Daughters of God

_________

Brothers and Sisters of One Another


The Most Important Service Performed in the Community

Day to Day Love of the Brethren


1Peter 4:10-11 As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as

good stewards of God's varied grace: (11) whoever speaks, as one who utters oracles of

God;


whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the

strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God

may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion for ever

and ever. Amen.


Our Contributions Differ Depending on Our Natural and

Spiritual Gifts

But Everyone Has a Contribution to Make

______________

There is No Room for Free loaders or Passivity


Though there are Many Recognized and Essential

Community Services

We Primarily Build Up One Another and the

Community in Our Daily Life Expressions of Love

and Service


1Cor. 14:33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace

One feature of our order/structure is our “practical system of

love.”


Features of Our Pastoral System:

• Everyone is cared for by others– Including a Pastoral Leader

• Everyone is responsible to care for others.

• Every individual and every group cares for the whole.– This is foundational!


• Foundations Course 1Provides the foundation for growing in Christian maturity in a Christian

community. It takes a pastoral approach. The course has a practical aim — to form people in living as Christian disciples and to form them in the community way of life. It is not mainly a course in Christian doctrine or scriptural teaching, although it includes some of that.

• Pastoral PlansIndividual plans for living out the “spokes”

• Schedules1st Sunday – Open Prayer Meeting3rd Sunday – Foundation Course 14th Week – Men’s/Women’s Group Meetings

• Leadership/Service TrainingThrough Sword of the Spirit and Ligaya ng Panginoon

For 2010


•How can I personally contribute to Build up the Body?

•What do I think the Community needs to be able to further live out God’s call - its mission

For Discussion


Let’s gather back after…

Documents

“Rejoice in hope, endure affliction and persevere in prayer” – Rom. 12:12 Marked five (5) years of experiencing God’s hand at work in our individual and